Lake Degray: The ultimate getawayOutdoor enthusiasts are always looking for that special getaway place that not only provides the activities that they love, but will also provide plenty of fun and activities for the entire family as well. Throughout the years, and all my travels to various towns, lakes, tournaments and tournament sites, there is one travel destination that has always stood out for me. That spot is Lake Degray just outside of Arkadelphia and just a few miles s...

Summer perfect for looking back, aheadJuly is the perfect time to start the countdown until hunting season begins. Yes, it’s only 83 days until deer season begins, the toughest days of the summer. While our summer has been unseasonably cool so far, I can’t but help imagine that’s all about to change. It’s the perfect time to think back on an unseasonably warm afternoon in January. I could hear the sounds of hooves in the muddy logging trail that dissected the woodlot I was hunting...

Roller derby returns to RussellvilleThe Russellville Roller Girls may not be the first group of ladies who tried to bring roller derby to the Russellville area, but they might be the closest to succeed. The Roller Girls see themselves as being recognized by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) by the end of the year — but there’s still plenty to do. The international governing body of women’s flat track roller derby, the WFTDA has several requirements before a team c...

6.98 pound bass wins $50,000LITTLE ROCK — After competing in the Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza, Steve Scherrey took home the big prize this year. The 6.98 pound bass he caught in the 8:00 hour on Saturday in the Dumas pool lifted him over one-day leader William Fitzgerald’s 6.87 pound fish in the Dardanelle pool. Scherrey is taking home $50,000 for his efforts. Scherrey beat out 2,277 other anglers to win the grand prize. This is his second time to take home the overall priz...

Nothing better than summer school in JulyNow, now, don’t get all excited and start thinking that I am talking about actually going to school during the summer, instead I am referring to the throngs of fish who will take to the top of the water in search of bait fish and provide you with some of the best fishing action you could ever imagine Without doubt, summertime has made its way to the Arkansas River valley with both area anglers and the fish feeling the effects. Summer heat take...

The excitement of bow huntingI love everything about bow hunting. The challenge, the equipment, the practicing, the magazines, the catalogs, the stories, the excitement of a miss, the thrill of a good shot — every single element I love. Perhaps my passion for the bow hunter narrows my view of the rest of the hunting world but that’s just the way it is. It’s much like the ink that this newspaper was printed on; it’s deep in my blood. It could be that the first deer I every...

Wie leads rain-delayed NW Arkansas Championship ROGERS (AP) — Whether it's because of her improved play or the reason for it, Michelle Wie appears as comfortable on and off the golf course as at any time in her career. Wie continued her season-long surge on the LPGA Tour on Saturday, shooting her second straight 5-under 66 to take a two-shot lead in the suspended second round of the NW Arkansas Championship. The performance put the U.S. Women's Open champion within a round of back-to-back w...

1st day of LPGA pro-am in Rogers rained out ROGERS (AP) — The first day of a Pro-Am in advance of the LPGA's Walmart NW Arkansas Championship was hampered by rain. Heavy rain and storms at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers led to play being suspended Wednesday morning and golfers were unable to resume play and all tee times were cancelled. The amateurs will team up with LPGA professionals on Thursday at Pinnacle with morning groups to tee off from 7:00-9:00 a.m. and afternoon groups noon-...

River flows on the decreaseIt has seemed that every year since 2009 river flows all along the Arkansas River have had some type of an impact on fishing all along the Arkansas river, which more times than not seems to benefit the fishing scene locally. When these high flows disrupt events scheduled elsewhere it seems one of the main turning points is Lake Dardanelle, which has seen small events to the Bassmaster’s use lake Dardanelle as their main back up plan. Luckily, ...

Local power lifter wins gold in South AfricaLocal attorney-at-law Jeff Phillips spends much of his time working in his office in downtown Russellville. But in his free time, Phillips is a professional power lifter. Phillips recently won gold in his weight and age class at a power lifting tournament in Potchefstroom, South Africa. In a June international competition hosting 42 countries, Phillips placed first in squat (405 pounds), second in deadlift (505 pounds) and third in bench press...

Joe Gibbs visits RussellvilleRussellville received a visit from a sports legend on Tuesday. Joe Gibbs, former Washington Redskins head coach and owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, hosted a breakfast meeting as part of his Game Plan for Life project at Arkansas Tech University’s Tucker Coliseum. Gibbs shared his life experiences with local men and compared the day-to-day challenges of the Christian walk to the world of football. “The game plan I talk about is simple, and it’s just...

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Shane Crabtree and Tanner OttThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Tactics to apply for fishing the Big Bass ClassicThe check has been written, your entry fee is in the mail, and now you are preparing to fish the Dardanelle pool for this year’s Big Bass Classic. So what’s your plan? There are several ways to look at this. Personally, I hate pre-fishing for big bass events. Through the years, I have caught some of the biggest fish I have ever caught in the days leading up to these events and despite your best wishes or intentions, you are not going to catch ...

Arvest supports Gardner-Goodwin tournament The Russellville Country Club will host the 2014 Gardner-Goodwin 4-Ball tournament on June 20-22. Honoring the names of key country club contributors Dr. Ellis Gardner and Joe Goodwin, the tournament is made up of two-person teams, with each individual playing their own ball and recording only the best score per hole. Tournament manager Neal Westbrook said the June 20 event will be a shootout for golfers which allows them to warm up and enjoy ...

Lake Dardanelle ready for a Big Bass BonanzaAlthough the Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza is held during the heat of an Arkansas summer, it still brings out large numbers of weekend anglers attracted by the opportunity to cash in on some life changing money. This year’s Big Bass Bonanza will take place along the Arkansas River from anywhere within the natural state from the Mississippi border to the Oklahoma border June 27-29. All the rivers, streams, oxbows, and backwaters accessible by a boa...

Wounded Warriors reeling in successNumbers were down, but spirits were high Saturday during the second annual Wounded Warrior Project Bass Tournament at Lake Dardanelle. Arkansas Wildlife Federation (AWF) president Wayne Shewmake would have liked to have seen a few more anglers on the water, but said he considered the tournament a success. “We think it’s gone real well,” he said. “We would have liked to have had the 50 anglers we had hoped for, but people have things happen tha...

Potts Inn hosts 2nd tourneyPOTTSVILLE — The second annual Potts Inn Moonshine golf tournament will tee off June 30 at the Galla Creek Golf Club to help raise money for structural repairs at the historic Potts Inn Museum in downtown Pottsville. Pam Scarber, president of the Pope County History Foundation, said the repairs would cost around $45,000. “We’re having some problems with the seals and the foundation,” she explained. “The foundation is basically rocks stacked up...

California Chrome's Triple Crown quest collapses NEW YORK (AP) — California Chrome failed in his bid to win the first Triple Crown in 36 years on Saturday, losing the Belmont Stakes to 9-1 long shot Tonalist. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner finished in a dead-heat for fourth with Wicked Strong. California Chrome's loss extended the longest drought without a Triple Crown champion. Three tough races in five weeks proved too demanding for California Chrome, who was sent off as the heavy...

Wounded Warriors to fish Lake DardanelleArkansas Wildlife Federation president Wayne Shewmake said he knew it had to happen again after several veterans thanked him and others involved with the Wounded Warrior Project bass fishing tournament on Lake Dardanelle last year. “The whole thing was very successful,” Shewmake said. “We had numerous people come up and thank us and ask if we would do it again next year. That was one of the reasons we knew we had to.” The Wounded Warrior Proje...

Preparing for summer's heatMany of you probably thought that it wasn’t going to happen this year, after all we just completed one of the coldest winters on record and have had a really cool spring, so we are surely not going to have a hot summer this year! Well, welcome to Arkansas, the home of the hottest and most humid summers known to man. Well, maybe not exactly that hot, but summer in Arkansas can leave you longing for one of those nice cool spring days we have jus...

What’s the worst thing that could happen?I was having a conversation with a co-worker the other day about the stupid things that we’ve done and lived to tell about. The story below is always near the top of my list. I wrote this back a few years ago in 2006 but after reading it, thought it might be worth publishing again. It’s funny now, but I can assure you, that day no one was laughing! It was a weekend that both Greg and I had waited on all year, the last weekend of October. For t...